Sparkle and Diamond are veteran donors to the DoveLewis Blood Bank.DoveLewis

When Portland resident Megan Leftwich registered her Labrador retriever, Piper, as a canine blood donor, she had no idea Piper would one day need to receive blood herself.

Piper qualified as a donor for DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital’s Blood Bank, which supplies blood for about 500 transfusions every year throughout Oregon and as far away as Idaho and Utah.

It’s one of two animal blood banks in Portland, along with VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Clackamas, and a handful across the state. The blood banks work cooperatively with each other to send blood wherever it’s needed.

Now in its 26th year, the DoveLewis Blood Bank receives blood from a troop of volunteer canine donors affectionately referred to as “Superheroes.” Last year, 93 dogs donated a total of 446 units of blood.

“They’re called Superheroes because they do save lives, or at least prolong life,” says Jill Greene, the Blood Bank’s program director.

Cats must be anesthetized before giving blood, since they’re not likely to patiently sit still for five minutes, so owned cats are not part of the program.

Instead, healthy cats that wind up at the hospital as strays are “adopted” by the hospital and serve as blood donors until they “retire,” at which point they are adopted into permanent homes.

Cats belonging to veterinary professionals in the Portland area are also eligible to become donors.

Why are transfusions needed?

Transfusions are typically required during surgeries, such as removing a cancerous tumor; for animals with immune deficiency disorders; and for those suffering from traumas.

Greyhounds make great donors partly because about 75 percent of the breed have a universal blood type, compared to about one out of every 15 dogs, Houchen says.

Canine blood typing is a complicated matter: more than a dozen blood-group systems have been recognized but only one universal negative type.

Aside from their blood type and gentle temperaments, greyhounds also have a higher amount of red blood cells because they were bred to run.

“So when they give blood,” Houchen says, “it’s like a turbo-charge. They’re usually able to help four animals per one unit of blood.”

About half of the 80 canine donors at the VCA hospital in Clackamas are greyhounds. Other breeds that tend to be universal donors include German shepherds, boxers and pit bulls, Houchen says.

The DoveLewis Blood Bank program tracks where the blood goes, so donors like Bartel can find out who receives their dog’s blood and why it was used.

The hospital also throws an annual party in April to honor donors and their families and mark “milestones” of blood donated.

Bartel has met with a handful of recipient owners, so she can see firsthand the results of her dogs’ donations.

“It’s really cool to meet these people,” she says. “They want to meet the dog that saved their dog basically to say ‘thank you.’”

To register your dog as a donor, call one of the local blood banks and make an appointment.

Prospective donors will get a free physical exam and have their blood tested and typed (not all types are accepted; DoveLewis collects three).

Donors are asked contribute at least four to six times per year and remain in the program for at least two to three years. The whole process takes about a half-hour, and the collection itself takes only five minutes.

Donor dogs will receive a “Superhero” bandana and a new toy at each donation. They’ll also receive preventative heartworm medication, which they are required to take as long as they donate.

For Leftwich, donor dogs like Diamond truly are a lifesaver.

“If it hadn’t been for the DoveLewis Blood Bank,” she says, “Piper would have absolutely died.”

Leftwich hopes pet owners will consider signing up their dogs to donate blood the same way her husband donates to the American Red Cross.

“I don’t think people realize they need it until they need it,” Leftwich says. “But that blood has to come from somewhere.”